Moving Ahead

In the wake of Tuesday's defeat, one of the most intelligent pieces of long-term analysis I have read comes from Andrew Klavan. In his brilliant piece "The Long Game: A Cultural Manifesto" he has set out some truths that the conservative movement desperately needs to hear.

The whole thing is worth a read, but my focus here is his discussion of the entertainment industry. We can never win any kind of long-term political battle unless we succeed in establishing structures that will allow conservative ideas (and even plain common sense) to be disseminated in what used to be called "low" culture (often known as "popular culture"). Klavan is right -- it's not enough to make the case in newspapers or books and then consider the argument decided. We've got to do more to give our side a voice in popular magazines, television and movies.

Three of the most important ideas that can be disseminated? (1) That an "entitlement" mentality is wrong (wasn't "ask not . . ." spoken by a Democrat president?); (2) unwed motherhood is not "liberation" -- it's unfair to children and women alike; (3) Capitalism and wealth isn't evil.

Conservatives need to find relatable people who can engage with and in popular culture who can make these arguments in persuasive, commonsense, entertaining ways. Women reaching out to women will be key in this effort (and in this context, I'd like to recommend a culture blog for which I sometimes post, Marybeth Hicks' On the Culture).

Carol Platt Liebau is an attorney, political commentator and guest radio talk show host based near New York. Learn more about her new book, "Prude: How the Sex-Obsessed Culture Hurts Young Women (and America, Too!)" here.